Reviews Analysed
21
We Collect & Analyse Reviews
WHSmith
Experiences & Reviews
WHSmith is a UK retail chain specialising in books, stationery and convenience items. It operates both high‑street and travel‑location stores (airports, train stations) alongside an online shop, selling reading material, office supplies and everyday travel essentials.
Overview & Key Metrics
Positive Sentiment
10%
Latest Review
13d
Overall Rating
1.4
Our Analysis
🎯
Service quality
Most reviews describe rude or unhelpful in‑store staff, with repeated accounts of confrontational or dismissive behaviour that deters repeat visits.
Share
Weak
20%
💰
Value for money
Several reviewers complain about high prices for drinks and mailing supplies and feel overcharged, describing purchases as poor value or 'rip off'.
Share
Weak
10%
⚡
User experience
Customers report problems with queues, limited staffing, blocked displays and difficulties completing purchases both in‑store and online.
Share
Weak
20%
🔧
Product quality
A small number of reviews mention expired items or missing stock, while others praise the range and availability of books and stationery.
Share
Mixed
4%
📞
Communication
Many reviewers describe poor staff communication and unsatisfactory responses from customer service; a minority note quick, effective resolution by email.
Share
Weak
20%
⭐
Overall experience
Overall impressions are largely negative with many customers saying they will not return; a few reviews highlight prompt issue resolution and good selection.
Share
Weak
26%
Our Independent Methodology
How we analyse customer reviews without bias
Data Collection
We analyse public reviews from verified platforms like Google, Trustpilot, and Facebook.
AI Analysis
Our AI detects patterns in genuine customer experiences without modifying content.
100% Independent
Zero company influence. No payments, no bias — just real customer voices.
Always Current
Updated regularly with the latest reviews and customer feedback.
Featured Customer Experiences
Representative examples from 21 verified reviews (October 2022 – September 2025).
WHSmith- A Customer Delight
"As an avid reader and stationery enthusiast, I recently stumbled upon WHSmith while searching for a good online shopping destination to cater to my needs. To say that this brand has exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. Their online store provides a vast range of quality products ranging from books, stationery and toys, satisfying my every need. I was particularly impressed by their selection of hard-to-find books that are usually not available in regular bookstores. Navigating through the website is easy with all items clearly arranged in different categories which made finding what I needed effortless. The icing on the cake was their “Expert advice” section which provided helpful tips on various topics relating to reading, writing and studying. Once I had placed my order at WHSmith's digital counter, there were no issues faced during delivery as it reached me well within time without any damages to the product packaged securely for transportation. To summarize my experience: WHSmith’s customer service is top-notch with staff members always ready to assist me throughout the journey. Their user-friendly interface coupled with quality products make it one of my go-to destinations for purchasing stationery or catching up on reading material."
Myriam
Collected.reviews
Oct 24, 2022
Featured for: Positive online shopping and delivery experience
I would give this store a -5 star if I…
"I would give this store a -5 star if I could I just got spoken to so disgustingly today by a worker in the store I will be calling up the manager this..."
customer
Trustpilot
Sep 30, 2025
Featured for: Detailed account of severe staff mistreatment
£7.25 for one single brown jiffy bag
"£7.25 for one single brown jiffy bag £4.23 for one single card backed envelope. i norm..."
Ben Williams
Trustpilot
Sep 30, 2025
Featured for: Example of high pricing complaint
Had an issue with elderly mothers…
"Had an issue with elderly mothers vouchers. Emailed customer services and problem..."
Sarah Jones
Trustpilot
Sep 30, 2025
Featured for: Customer-service resolution within 24 hours
All Customer Reviews
Filtered, experience-based customer reviews from public sources; vague and duplicate submissions removed.
Filter by Rating
Filter by Source
Showing all 21 reviews
All Customer Reviews
Sources: Trustpilot (20) · Collected.reviews (1) · Quotes shortened · As of: September 2025
V
Vivienne Levick
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Be a little kinder....
Specific store experience, cannot comment on W H Smith in general. I found a telephone in a store at Dublin Airport. I said to a staff member, oh hey,...
m
madi lol
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Check expiry dates
If there was a choice of no stars, i would happily accepted that. I paid £4.49! For a sandwich which was 5 days OUT OF DATE. I would n...
c
customer
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
I would give this store a -5 star if I…
I would give this store a -5 star if I could I just got spoken to so disgustingly today by a worker in the store I will be calling up the manager this...
E
Emma Sheppard
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Awful
I have just been into the Eastbourne store to purchase a £250 gift card. The assistant said that it couldn’t be purchased as it wasn’t allowed. As I w...
L
Lorraine Young
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Rude sales assistant
I wanted to buy an adaptor for my iPhone in the shop within Terminal 2 of Manchester airport at 15:20 on 14/9/25 but they were locked into the display...
A
Arabella
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Elder Street St Andrews Square, Coach Station, Edinburgh EH1 3DX
Hello, I rarely complain about customer service. I have had experience in hospitality, and can forgive anyone for having an off day. My following revi...
S
Shahid
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Very disappointed with the rude and…
Very disappointed with the rude and unprofessional service at WH Smith, Terminal 4. Heathrow. Staff refused to serve me despite machine worki...
L
Lily
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Disappointing customer service
I am so incredibly disappointed! I placed a pre-order back at the start of July for two items, one being a book set and one being a standalone. I got...
I
Ian D
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Rip off merchants
Just bought a bottle of water 1litre and a sprite 500ml at Manchester A...
W
Wik
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
charged for nothing not refunded
1 hour after a purchase, I was charged twice more for different amounts for purchases that I have never made...
B
Ben Williams
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
£7.25 for one single brown jiffy bag
£7.25 for one single brown jiffy bag £4.23 for one single card backed envelope. i norm...
F
Frequent Traveller
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
The older female member of staff long…
The older female member of staff long blonde hair and glasses at your store in Edinburgh Airport (gate 2) attitude towards customers is disgusting. Sh...
L
Lana King
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
NEVER returning to Sutton WHSMITHS EVER…
NEVER returning to Sutton WHSMITHS EVER again. Disgusting staff and appalling use of customer service. Accused me and my friend of stealing as wouldn’...
S
Steve
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Rippoff merchants!!
£4.19 for a 500ml diet coke and 2.90 for a roll of menthos at Manch airport train station....are you absolutly mad??? I put them back and walked out!!...
C
Consumer
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
W h smith maidenhead is awful
W h smith maidenhead is awful. Always big queues limited staff, unavailable staff, stock that should be there missing….and equi...
M
M C
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Can't be long until this store ceased to exist
Wouldn't leave one star after receiving derogatory comments from the store manager today in Dorchester. Left my toddler distressed and me fum...
J
Joanne Wikiera
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Total Rip off
Went to buy a Ribena small drink at M...
S
Sarah Jones
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Had an issue with elderly mothers…
Had an issue with elderly mothers vouchers. Emailed customer services and problem...
H
Heather Cairns
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
London waterloo train station
London waterloo train station, went in to buy cigar...
A
A C
trustpilot.com
Sep 30, 2025
Clueless employee
Po in store ,Bury st Edmunds : awful.Assistant not a clue & when I queried if another collegue could assist met with a"no...
Conclusion
Reviews in this sample show recurring problems with in‑store service and staff behaviour at several branches, especially travel locations. Pricing complaints appear frequently for drinks and small packaging items, and there are multiple reports of payment or pre‑order issues online. A minority of customers report positive outcomes, notably quick customer‑service email resolutions and a broad product range. Consumers searching for WHSmith reviews should weigh reports of poor service and value against occasional good experiences with selection and prompt customer support.